Anne Duncan, 59, realised her husband, Peter, needed help when she noticed one side of his face suddenly drop while at a rugby match in Twickenham, as he was rushed to hospital
A Navy medic was rushed to hospital from his seat at Twickenham when his wife noticed “something didn’t look right”.
Anne Duncan, 59 and her husband, Peter, 64, had sat down to enjoy the Army vs Navy rugby match when the drama unfolded. Anne realised something was wrong and a nurse sitting behind called an ambulance and he was immediately rushed to Charing Cross Hospital, London where it was revealed he had suffered a stroke.
He was later transferred to Royal Hull Infirmary for another six weeks. Anne, from Sutton-on-Hull, said: “When we sat down, it was 30 minutes before kick-off and I turned to look at my husband and thought something didn’t look quite right.
“The right side of his face had completely gone – and his face soon drooped down. There was no doubt about what was happening.
“It was the most emotional and distressing time of my life when he was rushed to the hospital in London. I genuinely thought I was going to lose him.”
Peter served for 41 years as a navy medic, including spells in the Falkland Islands and Afghanistan. In February 2017 he was awarded an MBE for his services to the Royal Navy.
When he returned home, his wife, Anne became his full-time carer and was forced to leave her catering business. They now spend most of their days undergoing physio and speech therapy to help the 64-year-old “relearn everything”.
Anne added: “He couldn’t tell the difference between a mobile phone and a razor. All the words were in there, it was just trying to get them out of him.
“Since then, I’ve become his full-time carer. I help him wash, dress, and eat – and it can be tiring.”
Since the incident the pair have received assistance from the Help for Heroes charity. The charity has provided fully-funded physio rehabilitation, which involves eight hours of neurological physiotherapy sessions and private speech therapy.
They frequently take Peter out on rest bite weekends with other veterans – to help Anne recharge her batteries. They have also provided a new wheelchair for Peter.
To show their appreciation for the charity, Anne and her 28-year-old daughter, Sophie are planning to paraglide off Mont Blanc mountain range in Les Gets resort, in France. The pair hope to raise £1,000 for the charity.
The pair will jump from 1,172 metres (3,845ft) above sea level on March 1, 2025, with Sophie “livestreaming” her mum’s jump. Anne added: “It’s my 60th birthday this year and I wanted to take on a challenge.
“After seeing what my husband has gone through, there are no second chances in life and I wanted to do something daring. When I told Peter what I was planning, he said to just go for it.
“I’ve never done anything like this before, but, as a family, we want to do something to show our appreciation for Help for Heroes.”
